


Three Times Player Called Carmen 'Black Sheep' on Accident

by TraumaTwin



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Best Friends, Found Family, Gen, I Tried, Kidnapping, No beta we die like my mental stability, Sick Fic, Slight Canon Divergence, i guess, mild hypothermia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27596470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TraumaTwin/pseuds/TraumaTwin
Summary: ...and one time he did it on purpose“Player, I can say without a doubt that if there is one person who can say my old name without me minding, it’s you. You knew me as only Black Sheep before, and I can’t expect you to get used to Carmen so quickly.” She put her hand down. “Okay, you can talk now. But I swear-” She pointed at the stunned Player through the computer screen. “If the first thing that comes out of your mouth is an apology, I will head to the nearest airport and fly to Ontario and no one will be able to save you from my wrath.”Player just stared at Carmen for a moment, mouth agape. “You know you’re my best friend, right?” He said abruptly.
Relationships: Player & Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 59
Kudos: 346
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	1. Angry

**Author's Note:**

> So I was writing another story really late at night and this thought just pops into existence in the middle of my Word document:
> 
> Do you ever wonder if Player just slips back into calling her Black Sheep when he’s really scared or tired? ‘Coz I think that’s adorable  
> So Player would only call her Black Sheep on accident but then when he does it on purpose she knows something’s wrong.  
> Carmen likes catching him at it and teasing him about it and he’s all like “Red stoppit you know I didn’t mean to”
> 
> And a hop, skip, and twelve straight hours of words and tears later, we have this story

Carmen knew from the moment she turned on her comms she was in trouble. At first, there was only stony silence, and she could imagine Player sitting in front of his computers, arms folded, irritated expression etched on his face.

“You there, Player?” Carmen tried to sound cheery, but the attempt failed miserably as she could practically feel Player roll his eyes.

“Of all the stupid things you could’ve done, I didn’t think you would pick something this idiotic.” Player stated, and _yep, he was furious._

“I-”

Player cut her off and there was a rapid clacking of keystrokes from across the line- Carmen winced, it sounded like he was stabbing his fingers into his keyboard. “You turned off your comms. You were fighting an experienced VILE operative for the first time since the island, and _you turned off your comms._ Got an explanation for me, Carmen?”

“I didn’t think you needed to hear it?” Carmen cursed herself for letting it come out as a question. _Lying 101, believe what you’re saying!_ “I mean, all you would have heard is a bunch of grunts and a sassy retort or two.” She forced out a nervous chuckle.

“Uh huh.” Player said disinterestedly. “Want to tell the truth now?”

“That is the truth!” Carmen insisted.

There was silence for a beat, and then Player spoke up again, his voice quieter now. “When you went offline, I panicked a little. Hacked into the cameras- it was easy enough after you let me in the system. Watched the fight.”

Carmen inhaled sharply. “Player-”

“You didn’t want me on the comms because you didn’t want me to hear you got hurt.” Player accused, and Carmen wilted.

“It’s nothing, Player. Really.”

“If it’s nothing, then why did you turn off your earrings?” Player shot back.

“I’m fine.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t know that, now would I?”

Carmen flinched. “That’s uncalled for, Player.”

“Isn’t it? We’re supposed to _trust_ each other, Carmen. And I need to know if you’ve been injured so I can help!” Player snapped.

“Of course I trust you! But I can handle this myself! I can treat my own wounds; I’m not helpless!”

“And what if someday you can’t? One day you’re going to need help, Carmen, and if you keep on pushing it _will_ end badly.”

“Not if I’m careful- which I will be.” Carmen argued.

“Not always! You can’t scare me like that, Black Sheep!” He yelled. Carmen sucked in a shocked breath at the name. Over the microphone, she could hear him clap a hand over his mouth in his surprise.

“Sorry!”

When she remained silent, he began rambling anxiously over the line, his former fury forgotten instantly.

“Sorry, I know that’s not your name anymore, and it brings back bad memories, but I was just so frustrated I forgot- b-but that’s no excuse and I’m sorry if I accidentally reminded you-” Player cut himself off, his breathing quick and unsure. “I-I’ll go now.” He whispered.

There was a soft click, and Carmen blinked, coming out of her haze. She hadn’t been called Black Sheep in a long time, and memories came rushing through her head at the moniker. Harsh voices, screaming her name in a red-coated rage; sweet voices, manipulating, twisting, making her doubt her own thoughts; hard voices, ones that made her flinch and wait for the oncoming punishment.

And through it all, a soft voice, a kind voice, filled with mischievous innocence. _“Okay, usernames work. You can call me… Player.”_

A lump gathered in Carmen’s throat, and she quickly pressed the video call button.

The dial tone sounded for a beat, and Carmen worried for a minute that Player was going to leave the call unanswered.

Then there was a shift in screens, and Carmen found herself seeing her hacker curled up in his desk chair looking miserable.

“Player?” She called gently.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled to his knees, eyes averted.

Carmen found herself sighing and smiling in exasperation, though the hacker didn’t seem to notice.

“Sor-” Player tried again, finally looking at her with red painted across his cheeks.

“Stop apologizing!” She laughed gently. “You left the call before I had a chance to say anything.”

“Oh.” Carmen could see him physically restrain himself from saying sorry again.

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” She teased. Her face became more serious before she continued, “It’s true, my old name brings back a lot of memories about my old home, my old life. And a lot-” She paused, eyes lost in the past, “A lot of those memories are not happy ones.”

Player fidgeted, opening his mouth, but Carmen held up a hand to give him pause.

“But. One memory I will always treasure dearly is the day I got a call with a stolen cellphone from a certain white hat hacker.” Her lips twitched up in a soft smile. “Player, I can say without a doubt that if there is one person who can say my old name without me minding, it’s you. You knew me as only Black Sheep before, and I can’t expect you to get used to Carmen so quickly.” She put her hand down. “Okay, you can talk now. But I swear-” She pointed at the stunned Player through the computer screen. “If the first thing that comes out of your mouth is an apology, I will head to the nearest airport and fly to Ontario and no one will be able to save you from my wrath.”

Player just stared at Carmen for a moment, mouth agape. “You know you’re my best friend, right?” He said abruptly.

Carmen cocked her head, startled. “Um. Yeah. You know you’re _my_ best friend, right?”

“Mm-hm. Yep. Cool.” Player stammered.

Carmen just smiled.

Player squinted, slowly uncurling himself from his chair. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about our argument, though.”

Carmen’s brow wrinkled, and she gave a weary sigh. “Fine. I promise that I won’t turn off the comms to hide my injuries. I can handle it, though!” She gave one last protest.

Player raised an eyebrow. “I know that, but I’m not gonna let you downplay your fights if you need help. It’s okay to be hurt, you know.”

“I… I know.” Carmen shifted from foot to foot. “It’s just- I guess I’m used to fending for myself, and it’s become a habit.”

“Well, we’re going to break it.” Player sniffed imperiously before a grin cracked across his expression.

Carmen pouted to hide the smile that threatened to escape. “I suppose.” She acquiesced. Nearby, she heard an alarm sound. “Well, that’s me. Transfer to comms?” She offered.

“’Course. I’m always with you, Red.”

There was a soft click as Player disconnected the video call. Carmen waited for a moment- “I’m back online.”

“So, ‘Red’, huh?” Carmen asked innocently.

The ever-constant typing from the other end froze, followed by a muted groan and a muffled bang that sounded like Player had let his head fall on his keyboard in his despair.

“Out with one nickname and in with another?” Carmen teased.

“Sorry.” Player moaned.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.” Carmen reminded. “Besides,” Carmen slid down the glass skylight of the rooftop, grinning, “I kind of like it.”


	2. Sick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snickety snack, this girl's back with more content for this flaming dumpster fire of a fic!  
> Takes place just after the Daisho Caper, and this is where the tag Slightly Canon Divergent comes in, because I know it shows Team Red leaving right after the caper, but I'm just going to say that Ivy and Zack convinced them to go karaoke one more time before they left.  
> Thanks so much for your lovely response to my work, and thank you to all of you who decided to click on this, comment, or leave kudos!

Sometimes Player wanted to bribe Ivy and Zack to tie Carmen down. More than once, he had seriously considered the idea before reluctantly discarding it, knowing she would escape in mere seconds before exacting revenge.

It was a problem though- the Lady in Red simply refused to _slow down._ Forget VILE, Carmen’s cause of death would be self-destruction; spontaneous combustion one day when all the jetlag, injuries, and who-knows-what-else caught up with her.

That is, if Player didn’t step in. And he wasn’t one to let his partner in crime down. Whether it was putting the Bostonians on her tail, or ordering food from the nearest restaurant in Ecuador, he diligently looked after his best friend when she couldn’t seem to herself. Being on the run from the world was taxing, after all.

What Player didn’t notice was the effect it had on his own wellbeing. It was slow, at first, missing a meal here or there to keep an eye on the movements skipping across his screen and the enthusiastic voices chirping in his ear. Then it was staying up later and later, waking up at all hours to keep up with time zones. Even when he did force himself to focus on his own health, he found himself distracted, mind circling endlessly back to the next caper. This was important, much more important than himself, after all. It was all about priorities.

He should’ve known it would backfire on him someday.

(:)

Player’s throat had been bothering him lately, but he figured it was from talking to Red and the others constantly while they worked.

“I think Ivy and Zack are having a little too much fun with the karaoke. They’ve been at it for _hours._ ” Carmen announced.

Player chuckled, wincing at the strain it put on his throat. Man, he really needed to refill his water bottle. “Oh, is that all the static I’m getting across the line?” The tickle turned into an itch and he coughed.

Carmen snorted. “Be nice!” She chided without much feeling. “They’re already getting enough of it from Shadowsan.”

“As much as I’m sure Shadowsan _loves_ being serenaded-” Player grinned as Carmen interrupted with more laughter.

“You should have seen his face!” She wheezed. “He just looked so non-plussed. ‘I was once young and foolish as well.’” She imitated in a deep voice.

“Somehow I can’t see him singing karaoke.” Player returned mildly.

The way Carmen was snickering, Player could picture her easily: Bent double, arms crossed over her midsection, cackling while Shadowsan and the redheads looked on concernedly.

“Can you _imagine_?” She managed.

“Well, I’m trying to… wow, my brain is never going to be able to get rid of _that_ mental image.” Player laughed, but it tapered off into raspy coughs. Each one sent sharp pricks of pain through his head. _Stupid sore throat… maybe I’m catching a cold?_

“Player, you good? Sounds like you’re getting sick or something.” Red’s ability to speak his thoughts out loud never ceased to amaze him.

“Nah, I’m fine.” Player assured, swallowing with a grimace. “Just a sore throat; probably from talking all day.”

“Oh. Yeah, this caper was a taxing one. When did it start… yesterday? And now it’s three in the afternoon. Just because we wanted to track Shadowsan down.” Carmen sighed. “I wish he would stop doing that.”

“I know, right?” Player cut off his laugh; it hurt enough to talk. “Guess stealing has odd working hours.” He croaked, rubbing his eyes.

“Odd working- Say, Player, what time is it for you?” Carmen asked suspiciously.

“One.”

“AM or PM?”

“…AM. Before you start, Red, it’s all good. I’m used to waking up at weird times.” Player hastened to reassure her at her cry of indignation.

“Maybe you are, but you’re really not sounding great, Player. You want to get some rest? We’re off the clock now, anyway.” Carmen’s concerned tone filled the line, and Player pouted even though she couldn’t see him.

“Careful there, Red, you’re starting to sound like my mom.”

“I will not apologize for caring.” Carmen sniffed.

Player frowned. He _was_ pretty tired… and his headache wasn’t getting any better. Maybe getting off his screen take some of the strain off his eyes. “You’ll call me if you need anything?” He relented.

“Yup. You do the same?” Carmen sounded _way_ too happy about his giving in.

“’Course. Don’t get up to any mischief without me.”

Carmen laughed, and the connection cut off with a soft click.

(:)

“I ‘hink I caught sumthin’ from Shadowsan.” Player groused through a stuffy nose.

Carmen chuckled. “The poison effects were only temporary, Player. And did you forget you’re in Canada?”

“Shush, le’ me die ‘n peace.” Player moaned piteously.

“Sounds like ‘just a sore throat’ got worse. Shall I prepare a eulogy?”

“Maybe.” Player’s stomach flipped, and he tried to fuse with his mattress in attempt to stave off the nausea. A strangled whimper passed his lips as he curled uselessly around himself. “Thanks for pickin’ up, tho’. Chattin’ distracts me.”

“It’s no problem.” Carmen answered earnestly. “I had nothing to do today anyway.”

“’Cause of me.” Player frowned.

“Player, you’re allowed to get sick.” Incredulity oozed across the line.

“I’ll bet VILE doesn’ ge' sick.” His voice choked off slightly as bile threatened to crawl up his throat. He swallowed and gagged slightly.

“Everyone has their off days. Even me.” Carmen admitted.

“Since when?” Player’s headache spiked and he let out a soft “Ow.”

“Does Ecuador ring any bells? Altitude sickness? How about the day I cracked four ribs?”

Player squinted at the ceiling above him. Was his stomach rolling more than usual, or was it just him? “You ‘ake a fair point, Re’.” Definitely _not_ just him. Player lunged for the trash can lingering by his bed barely in time as he heaved. “It still sucks tho’.” He said hoarsely once the nausea subsided, reluctantly gulping at the horrible taste in his mouth.

“Yeah.” Carmen agreed. It sounded like she yelled, though, with the way the single word started ringing in his ears.

“Ivy says to get better soon… and Zack says he thought vampires couldn’t get sick. Zack, for the last time, Player is not a vampire!” Carmen shouted to Zack, who yelled something muffled back. Player screwed up his face in pain at Carmen’s increase in volume and bit his lip to keep from making noise- no doubt it would come out as an unholy screech and give Red a heart attack.

It was suddenly a whole lot harder to think straight. What was he doing again?

“Shadowsan’s out right now, but I’m sure he’d tell you to get well soon… probably.” Carmen paused in thought. “Yeah.” She decided. “Player?” She asked when he didn’t respond.

“Hm?” Player started upright, having drifted off in the past minute. “Wassup, Black ‘eep?”

“Oh, it must be bad.” Carmen mused.

“Wadya mean?” Player asked, still frightfully slurring his words. “Didja get in trouble ‘gain?”

Carmen made a strained sound and Player cocked his head. Was she okay? Wait… he was sick, and he had called her. Right.

“No, I’m not in trouble.”

“Thas’ good.” Player said absentmindedly, still gaining some semblance of realization. “You ge’ in trouble ‘oo much.”

Carmen made a noncommittal hum of appreciation. A burst of noise sounded over her end of the line and Player winced, slamming his eyes closed again. His hands clutched at his head.

Carmen sighed. “I need to take care of this. Call me back when you’re more coherent?”

“Mm.” Player made a noise of agreement.

“See you, Player. Feel better soon!”

“You too.” Player couldn’t understand why Carmen was laughing as she disconnected the call. At least it was quieter now.

(:)

Two weeks later, his befuddled mother handed in a stack of mail. Player was up and about again, on the tail end of his bout of sickness.

“These came in from… Japan? Who do you know in Japan?”

Player frowned. “Um.” Who did he know in Japan? Then he caught a glance of the return address. _Carmen Brand Outerwear_. A grin cracked across his face.

“Just a friend from online, I think.”

His mom cocked her head, wariness dissipating from her posture. “That’s cool that you have friends all the way across the world!”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.” Player smiled brightly and returned to his cave.

The stack of get-well cards stood proudly by his monitor the next time he logged back into Team Red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literally the conversation between Player and Carmen about Shadowsan doing karaoke was how I thought about it in my head. That mental image... I'm scarred, guys.


	3. Scared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *vibrating* can i post the next chapter? can i post the next chapter? cAN I POST THE NEXT CHAPTER
> 
> My updating schedule: fine
> 
> Me: yay
> 
> FYI, this one takes place during the Stockholm Syndrome caper... enjoy!

Contrary to the beliefs of Ivy and Zack, hacking required more than a computer and a keyboard. It was an art, a process, a lifestyle… it was- it was…

It was _incredibly difficult._

_Why_ in the name of Tim Berners-Lee did VILE have to encrypt _every single_ entry in their hard drives? Player respected good security, and he was always looking forward to a new challenge, but this took hard, continuous, time-consuming work. He always wondered if failed missions could have succeeded had he only worked _faster._

He sighed and rubbed his eyes before settling his hands on his keyboard and starting in again, fingers moving seamlessly across the keys.

A popup window opened, and Player smiled distractedly at the red hat icon sitting in its center, clicking the accept button.

“Hey Player!” Carmen chirped. Behind his best friend, Player could see colorful buildings with people the size of ants from Carmen’s high perch, even from only the sparing glance he could afford it.

“How’s Stockholm treating you?” He questioned, unable to tear his eyes from a particularly pesky section of code.

“Great.” Sighed Carmen. “I wish you could be here to see it.”

“You see it for me every time you head out into the world, Red. Besides, I like it here in my cave, remember?”

“Of course I do. Sometimes I worry you’re going to wilt from a Vitamin D deficiency.” Carmen teased.

“Hah. I go outside!” Player protested, his voice dying off as he squinted towards his computers. Darn it, he was probably going to need to retrieve another program for this. He opened another window and started typing.

“-still with me? Player?”

“Yes, Red?” He answered absently.

Carmen cocked her head from the corner of his screen. “Everything alright over on your end?” She asked, eyes glittering with amusement and mild concern.

“It’s…” Player trailed off as he switched screens and tapped out another command, before turning his attention to Carmen. “Sorry, it’s nothing. I’m just super absorbed, is all.”

“Absorbed? With what?” Carmen cocked her head. “I thought all the prep work was done for this caper?”

“Oh, yeah, but I’ve got to start decrypting the next entry, as well as keep an eye on the web to see if anything suspicious picks up, and make sure nothing new comes through that might alter our plans. It’s really time consuming.”

“You can take some time off if you need it, you know.” She reminded. “You don’t want to _actually_ work yourself up to a vitamin deficiency. We’ve got a bit of time before we get the ball rolling, so…”

Player offered a small smile. “I know, Red, and I’m good, I promise. Just… busy.”

Carmen nodded with an affirmative hum. “Well then, do you have the time to virtual sightsee with me?” She grinned slyly. “I’ve heard Sweden from the roofs is breathtaking.”

Player laughed and quickly shifted his screens over to a smaller side one. He enlarged the popup with Carmen’s brows raised in invitation. His work could wait, if only for a little while.

“You know I wouldn’t miss a night out with you for the world, Red.”

(:)

Player had managed to stay quiet throughout Carmen’s meeting with Julia Argent, even when he could hear it all go wrong. Pants, grunts, the thud of Red’s sneakers against stairs. The whip of wind, a mechanical clacking as her glider deployed.

His hands fell away from his keyboard as he watched her tracker move farther and farther away from Stockholm.

“Red,” He started, brows furrowed in worry, “You do realize you’re leaving state limits?” No answer. “Red?” What was she doing? “Red, answer me! Red?” A thud. “Black Sheep?” The name slipped out in his desperation, but it didn’t do any better in raising a response from Carmen. He let out a shaky breath and tapped his keyboard to connect with the redheads.

“Zack, Ivy. Carmen’s grounded. ACME must have caught her scent and doubled back.”

“What?” Breathed Ivy. “How’d they figure it out? Look at me, _I’m_ Carmen Sandiego.” A faint voice spoke on her end of the comms. “Who?” Asked Ivy nervously. “Oh. Right. Me. Look, fella, I-gck!” Ivy made a strangled noise before falling silent.

“Ivy? What’s goin’ on?” Zack asked hesitantly. A beat, then, “Player? Ivy’s not answering her comm.”

Player took a deep breath. At times like this he _needed_ to stay calm, no matter how much his brain was screaming at him to _move._ “I have a track on her, Zack.” Player reassured. “She’s just outside Stockholm. Heading north fast. Shadowsan’s on the Malaysia mission. That makes you the only ground support.” His mind whirled frantically, desperate to come up with a solution.

“Yeah, but if Carm’s MIA too, who do I support?” Zack asked nervously.

Player swallowed, face hardening in determination. “Go get your sister.” Remarkably, his voice held steady. “Red knows how to fend for herself in a pickle.”

“I’m comin’ for you, Ivy!” Zack cried as he revved up the van.

(:)

Later, when Carmen was safely checked into a hospital for hypothermia, Player disconnected himself from the comms and let himself cry.

Then, when his desk and keyboard were slick with tears and he couldn’t breathe through his nose, he swiped the remaining salty drops away and got to work once again.

_Faster._

Bonus!

Preoccupied

“Black Sheep? Who’s that?” Ivy asked confusedly.

“ _Black Sheep._ ” Player annunciated carefully, exasperated. “The thief you work with every day?”

“You mean-” Carmen motioned for Zack to keep quiet, grinning and shaking with silent giggles.

“Ah. _That_ Black Sheep.” Ivy said pointedly, unable to stifle her smirk.

Player still didn’t look up, staring into his screen and nodding absentmindedly. “Uh huh. Anyway, like I was saying, you should meet up with Black Sheep in the van, because odds are she’ll have a slew of VILE operatives and police officers on her tail and you’ll need a quick getaway.”

By now, all three of the occupants of the other side of the camera were bent over in suppressed laughter, wondering if Player, in his exhaustion, would ever notice his slipup in names.

“You got it, Player.” Zack wheezed.

Finally, Player looked up for the first time, brow furrowed in tired innocence. “What?” He asked, eyes wide, taking in their hunched, trembling forms.

The trio let loose with half-hysteric guffaws of laughter. Poor Player looked hopelessly confused, frowning at their glee.

“No, seriously, guys, what’s up?” He asked, trying to interrupt their overwhelming outburst of amusement. When they didn’t respond, he turned to his best friend for answers.

“What are you all laughing about, Black She- …shoot.” Player’s face dawned with recognition before he buried his face in his hands.

Carmen positively _cackled._

“You are all the worst.” He said, muffled by his hands.

The crew only laughed harder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may ask, why did I not give this small piece a chapter of its own?  
> 1\. AO3 terrifies me and I didn’t want to chance adding another chapter and messing the whole thing up. *pokes at keyboard hesitantly with a stick*  
> 2\. It’s really short and undeveloped  
> 3\. It would totally mix up the whole 3+1 thing and who wants to read a 4+1 thing????  
> 4\. Because I wanted to  
> Thanks for sticking with me through this fic y’all are the best!!


	4. +1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Player never called her Black Sheep, not on purpose; none of her team did. She recalled times he’d done it on accident (she’d never admit she found it endearing)- it’d always been when he was stressed or out of it… but he hadn’t called her by her old name knowingly since she’d changed it.  
> The only plausible conclusion? Something was wrong. Very, very, wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally heeeeeeere  
> Sorry for the delay; this chapter gave me STRUGGLES and I'm still not completely happy with it but what can ya do :/
> 
> ...Alternate Titles: How Much Fluff Can I Fit Into Four Chapters/Carmen and Player Being Self-Destructive Idiots For 6,052 Words

“Whose idea w-was it to t-take him to _Russia_?” Zack demanded, teeth chattering even within the warm interior of their van.

“Blame VILE.” Carmen answered tersely. “Ivy, where’re we at?”

Ivy sighed from her place in the back of the vehicle with a tense Shadowsan. “It’s a good thing he had the idea to keep a tracker on the hard drive, but I honestly don’t know how he does this _all the time._ ” She squinted at the laptop in front of her. “It’s hard enough just doin’ this once. Turn right here!” She called to Zack at the wheel.

“And that’s just assuming they kept him with the hard drive.” Carmen despaired.

“The odds of that are rather high.” Shadowsan jumped in, voice reassuring and cutting through the haze Carmen desperately tried to keep herself out of. She couldn’t stop analyzing, wondering, _if only she’d been better…_

(:)

_Carmen looked out at the Tower in London, sighing in ecstasy at the awe-inspiring view. Even after all this time, there was nothing that could compare with seeing new places around the globe._

_Her phone chimed in her pocket, and her brow furrowed as she picked up the call from her favorite hacker. She had thought he had gone offline to catch up on some sleep… ah, well. It wouldn’t have been the first time he had delayed sleep in order to talk with her for a while._

_“What’s up, Player?”_

(:)

“We’ve got to catch up to them before they reach the drop off point. If they get there, it’ll be…” Carmen paused in consideration. “A lot harder to get what we came for.” She opened the door to the van, ready to step out.

“Hey.” Zack’s hand landed on her shoulder, his tone serious for once. “We’ll get him back.” He said, crystal blue eyes hardened with a determined steel.

“I know.” Carmen answered, moving with the rest of her team outside. “We have to.” She murmured to herself.

(:)

_“Oh, hi, Black Sheep.”_

_Carmen froze._

_Player never called her Black Sheep, not on purpose; none of her team did. She recalled times he’d done it on accident (she’d never admit she found it endearing)- it’d always been when he was stressed or out of it… but he hadn’t called her by her old name knowingly since she’d changed it._

_The only plausible conclusion? Something was wrong. Very,_ very, _wrong._

_“Nothing much,” Player continued breezily, “Just needed to let you know I’ll be offline for a couple of days.”_

_Carmen noted that despite the mild tone of voice, a thin layer of stress overlayed it all, undermining his attempts to sound calm._

_“Offline? Any reason why? We probably need to get going again soon.” Carmen wasn’t sure how safe it was to pry; if Player couldn’t outright tell her something was wrong, then it probably wasn’t a good idea to go too far in questioning him._

_“Just, um. A family trip, it’ll be… a couple of days, no computers allowed, you know the drill. Do you mind staying in London for a bit?”_

_“No, I don’t mind at all.” Carmen responded distractedly. Her head was in overdrive, desperately ruling out possibilities and searching for others. She couldn’t look too hard, though, not with Player on the line. “Just, uh.” She paused to keep her voice from breaking. “Stay safe for me, ‘kay?”_

_“Okay.” Player said softly. “Um, bye, Black Sheep.” The call disconnected, and Carmen’s knees buckled from underneath her._

(:)

“Alrighty.” Ivy directed over the comms. “Geez, this feels weird, staying behind and being tech support. I dunno how Player doesn’t go crazy.”

Carmen flinched at the mention of her missing best friend. He should be here, she thought desolately, chattering in her ear about the history of Russia and Moscow, filling the silence as she ran circles around VILE, laughing with her all the while.

Her fists clenched.

(:)

_“Come back to our hotel_ now. _” Carmen spoke briskly, ignoring the half-hearted protests from Zack and Ivy. Shadowsan didn’t respond, likely already on his way back, for which she was grateful._

_“Player’s in trouble. He just called me, but he clearly couldn’t say everything he wanted to…” Carmen frowned at the memory of their stilted conversation._

_“What do you mean?” Zack asked._

_“He said he was going on a family trip for a couple of days, no tech. And he called me Black Sheep.”_

_“And he wasn’t half-asleep or somethin’?” Ivy checked._

_“No.”_

_There was silence for a moment, then, “We’re on our way. I hope the little guy’s alright.”_

_“I hope so too.” Carmen bit her lip._

(:)

“An’ just keep headin’ straight forward, you should see it now…?” Ivy worded the sentence as a question.

“Looks like an abandoned warehouse.” Shadowsan noticed.

“Appearances can be deceiving.” Carmen said, already a ball of nerves. “Alright, Zack, you in position?”

“R-ready for a quick getaway.” Zack confirmed.

“How are you still shiverin’?” Ivy demanded.

“It’s c-cold!” Zack whined.

“No time for games today, guys. What’s important is that we get in, get Player and the VILE hard drive, and get out.”

“Understood.” Zack reaffirmed.

“Any luck on hacking into the building to give us some idea of what we’re looking at here?” Carmen questioned.

“Sorry, Carm, this isn’t really my area of expertise.” Ivy apologized.

“So we will be going in blind.” Shadowsan noted.

“Unfortunately.” Carmen sighed, her breath puffing out like fog in front of her.

(:)

_“Agh, this is so hard to access without Player’s help.” Carmen groaned, guilt and fear coiling in her like a snake._

_"Why do we need to find out where the VILE hard drive is again?" Ivy asked._

_"This is just the first and easiest step in finding out what might've happened to Player." Carmen explained. "Odds are, if they took him, which is the most likely possibility from his call, they also found the hard drive. Find that, find Player. If they didn't," She shrugged, We'll start in on... more drastic measures."_

_“Did he not teach you how to locate the tracker in the event he was unable to do so himself?” Shadowsan queried, putting them back on topic._

_“Yes, but that was months ago… we should’ve done better.” Carmen slammed her hand against the desktop, brows furrowed in frustration, before suddenly smoothing out. “Hang on…” Her fingers rapidly clacked against the keys, frantic in their search for answers._

_“Yes… I think I’ve got it…” The screens shifted until they were looking at a grid of the world, decorated with a green V hovering over one of the countries._

_“Nice job, Carm!” Zack cheered. “Where’s it at?”_

_Carmen zoomed in on the location. “Moscow, Russia.”_

(:)

With a final kick, the last of the VILE operatives were down for the count.

“That was messier than I’d like.” Carmen panted.

“The police can take care of them once we’re gone.” Shadowsan informed her.

“Right.”

Carmen strode through the frigid building, sharp eyes piercing a spotlight through every dusty corner, nook, and cranny. The warehouse consisted of one huge, dimly lit main room, with smaller rooms branching off the central chamber. A couple half-rotted crates were scattered throughout the large room, and Carmen’s keen eyes quickly spotted a familiar black and green logo sitting innocently on one of the sturdier boxes.

“Found the hard drive. No sign of Player yet.” Carmen ignored the sinking feeling in her gut. She _was not_ _giving up._

Shadowsan scooped up the drive. “I will take this to the van.” He decided. “You keep looking.”

Carmen managed a nod.

It became clear that the main room was empty, and Carmen quickly moved to checking through the side rooms with bated breath.

In the fourth room she tried, she found a figure slumped on the floor, hands bound behind him, pale and barely shivering.

At the cold draft she introduced to the room, he stirred ever so slightly, twisting from his original position.

“Who…?” He whispered weakly.

“ _Player.”_ Carmen breathed, and suddenly she was moving, practically sprinting, sliding to a stop on her knees beside him. She lifted his head into her lap and pulled out a knife from her coat to cut his wrists free.

“I found him.” She called quietly through the comms, ignoring the resulting cheers and sighs of relief from the other end.

“Red?” Player asked, glazed grey eyes fluttering open. “You c-came.”

“Of course I did.” Carmen said affectionately. “Nice job with the phone call; I knew what you meant right away.”

“S-sorry for calling y-you the wrong n-name.” Player muttered.

Carmen laughed. “ _That’s_ the thing you focus on?” The ropes fell away from his wrists and he brought them in front of him to rub circulation back.

Player attempted a shrug. “W-what c-can I say, I’ve always w-wanted to be s-stolen merchandise.” He proclaimed, blue lips turned up in a smile.

Carmen choked back the noise that threatened to erupt from her throat; she wasn’t sure whether it was going to be a laugh or a sob. “Well, you’re safe now.”

“I’m always s-safe w-when I’m w-with you.” Player said quietly, snuggling deeper into her arms.

She stroked his messy dark hair gently, holding him protectively to herself. “You’re not allowed to do this again, you hear me?” She scolded.

Player made a half-hearted noise of assent before his unfocused grey eyes slipped closed.

“I’ve got you.” Carmen whispered before pushing herself up, cradling the semi-conscious hacker in her arms. He was worryingly cold, but if she got him to the van quickly, he would likely recover without a hitch.

Half walking, half running, she made her way back through the warehouse, skillfully dodging the VILE operatives resting out cold on the floor. She shivered when the brisk air hit her as she pushed outside the doors, eyes focused on the car waiting in the alleyway for their safe return.

The door slid open, Ivy’s excited face peering outside and waiting to help her and Player in.

“He alright?” Zack called as soon as the door clicked closed.

“Just cold. Not as bad as it could be, though. Mild hypothermia at worst, we just need to get him warmed up.” Carmen listed off as Shadowsan looked Player over, nodding with her assessments.

“Thank the heavens!” Ivy exclaimed, anxiously wringing her hands. “I don’t think I could handle another Stockholm.”

Carmen winced at the reminder. “He’ll be fine.” She stated, more to reassure herself than anything.

“J-just f-f-fine!” Piped up a small voice. Carmen whirled to see Player grinning up at her, still looking slightly out of it. He attempted to sit up, only to have three separate pairs of hands hold him down.

“You are not going anywhere right now.” Shadowsan stated grimly. Ivy plopped the spare blankets sitting previously unused in the vehicle on Player with a soft thump. He scrabbled at them with stiff fingers, drawing them around himself.

“H-how about n-now?” He asked around chattering teeth.

The interior of the van sighed in tandem. “You’re as bad as Carm!” Zack called from the front.

“Excuse you!” Carmen cried, affronted.

“It’s true.” Ivy contributed. “We practically had to duct tape her down to keep her resting after the whole Coach Brunt thing.”

“D-did it w-work?” He grinned. “Asking f-for a f-friend.”

Carmen glared at the occupants of the vehicle. “ _I’m_ not the one who got himself kidnapped!”

“And s-stabbed in the b-back by my best f-friend, apparently.” Player complained.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he held up his hands in surrender. “O-okay, okay. I’ll s-stay down.”

“Good.” She said succinctly.

A car drive later, Team Red found themselves at their hotel. Shadowsan had managed to perform his ninja disappearing act on the way in, and Zack and Ivy stayed behind in the lobby to move the van and their equipment in safely, leaving Player and Carmen to head upstairs alone. It was an odious task, what with Player refusing help and tripping on every other step with his numb feet.

“Fine.” He relented at last. Carmen rolled her eyes in fond exasperation as she moved closer to allow him to sling an arm over her shoulders in support.

“I now understand the frustration the others must go through.” She informed him, and he stuck his tongue out at her.

“I’ve been taken across a continent against my will, I’m allowed to be stubborn.” Player announced dramatically, contrasting his exhausted demeanor.

“How’re you liking Russia? It’s my first time too, I wish it was under better circumstances.” Carmen said wistfully.

“Oh, I got the most scenic tour from the back of a truck, you should try it sometime.” Player declared sarcastically, before his face lit up with a thought. “Though, did you know that one of the most famous spots in Moscow is called Red Square?” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Carmen snickered. “Sounds like a perfect spot for us.” She cocked her head in consideration as they reached their door. “Say, you wouldn’t mind being a face on a milk carton for a little longer to sightsee, would you?” It would be a dream come true to explore the Third Rome with her best friend without thousands of miles splitting them apart.

Player beamed at her, color having already started returning to his face. “You have to ask?”

Later, they would have to figure out how to keep Player safe, now that they knew it was possible for someone to track him down. Later, they would have to find a way to scrub Player’s existence from VILE’s databases. Later, Player would have to figure out how to explain his disappearance (and subsequent reappearance) to his parents as they fussed endlessly over him, and then have to deal with it from the entire team afterwards, much to his consternation. Later… but for now, the two best friends smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I finished this!! Lemme know if anything doesn't make sense or something!  
> Thank you all for the overwhelming support I've gotten on this fic, I hope to see you all again sometime (we'll see)  
> :)


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